Grand Rapids is not the place to move ahead in this division. - Lead Systems Engineer GE Aerospace Employee Review

3.0
9 Dec 2008
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The work in Grand Rapids is very challenging. GE as a company is very good about providing corporate information to it's employees. GE also attempts to allow employees to move around within GE if you don't find your current job challenging. Grand Rapids is a wonderful place to raise a family within Michigan (even though the unemployment rate for the state is the highest in the nation).

Cons

Grand Rapids was recently acquired (2 years) from Smiths Aerospace and is still in the initial growing pains cycle. The management here is not gotten into the mainstream GE philosophy of openess. The rewards (i.e., pay increases) here are very low compared to the US as a whole. The management here seems to think that everyone that is working here is here to stay, and don't provide financial incentives to keep employees here. The Work/Life balance is poor here because scheduling is not something management does well. Manditory OT (albeit with pay) is the norm here.

Explore other reviews about GE Aerospace

5.0
2 June 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

good work life balance, stability, and pay

Cons

boring at times, lots of process

4.0
21 Apr 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The engineers who work hard and take themselves seriously are still working here and are great to collaborate with and solve problems. The projects are interesting, as long as your manager is considering your interests and career path. There are ample opportunities in commercial and military, with the commercial being more of a remote/Teams environment and military being more in person. Bonus structure is strong, 15%. Incentive pay for coming to work. Work life balance mostly depends on the job you sign up for.

Cons

Managers may not have come up through the engineering ranks and so they may not understand us. They focus more on process, like Flight Deck, than having actual knowledge to solve problems. The technical expertise in the sub section and especially section level has gone down in the last 5-10 years. This less technical management class seems to be impacting engineering turnover among the IC’s. Additionally, constant pivots, often due to inconsistent funding, also decrease morale. Lastly, it’s possible your manager doesn’t care as much about your career as they do just getting tasks done / covering the bases. Basically non-existent health care (very high premium and deductible for larger families). Biased hiring through Next Engineers.

See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All